McCain To Female Audience: This Crowd Is So Emotional

Going into tonight's vice presidential debate, the chief concern among Democrats was that Sen. Joe Biden, whether accidentally or not, would somehow deliver a line against Sarah Palin that was deemed sexist.

Could John McCain just have beaten him to the punch?

At a town hall meeting in Denver late Thursday night, McCain addressed the predominantly female crowd (it was a women's town hall) with what was meant to be a comedic aside.

"My friends, I've had hundreds of town hall meetings around this country for many, many years and I've got to say, thanks to you and to you and to you this is one of the more impactful and emotional town hall meetings I've ever had. Maybe it's because it's a women's town hall."

Certainly, with the sensitivities surrounding race and gender in this campaign, off-the-cuff remarks like this have the potential to blow up. The McCain campaign will likely portray the comment as a joke, or perhaps even complimentary. But many women will undoubtedly see it as sexist and/or patronizing.

Comments

[wedapeepo]

all right break it up break it up, not story here!

[ccrane]

He would have been fine if he'd just left off that last line. Grandpa needs to learn when to shut his trap.

[IndependentforObama]

Emotional???? I hope McCain knows that it studies regarding women, the workplace and the GLASS CEILING... the perception of women as emotional and therefore not as controlled as their male counterparts was cited as one of the reasons why women were passed over for SENIOR MANAGEMENT POSITIONS!

If Obama has made this remark, they would have released an ad immediately calling him sexist.

I guess McCain can only hide his disdain for womenfolk for so long!!!!!!­!!!!!!!!!!­!!!!!!

Oh well!

[Susanfrom29]

"I guess McCain can only hide his disdain for womenfolk for so long!!!!!!­!!!!!!!!!!­!!!!!!"

I thought he made it pretty clear with his selection of Sarah Palin as his running mate

[gretcheno]

IA and by watching Hardball tonight the young students at the university are not buying this either.

[Seven7s]

Women like benevolent sexism. They even encourage it in government and society.

This wont hurt him a bit.

[Just Joe]

Look. I don't like John McCain, but the crowd loved him when he said this and I think he was trying to say that it was emotional for him. Not that the women were emotional.
We don't need to spin anything about the McCain campaign. They are doing enough damage all by themselves.

[MadOzbo]

The only thing McCain could have said to make this even worse, would have been to comment on how "Sensitive" the crowd was...

That man is becoming more and more of an out-of-touch joke with every passing day...

33 days cannot pass fast enough, even though I am now old enough to regret the passing of every day. But I'd gladly sacrifice twice that amount in order to have the elections tomorrow...

[publanski]

Well, maybe it was their time of the month.

[jhw22]

Now THAT offends me more than McCain's comment.

Jennifer

[GerryS]

did he insult them?

[grantlingel]

He really has no common sense... it's scary he could become our president.

http://grantlingel.blogspot.com

[Denni]

Both Palin and McCain have foot in mouth disease.

[SvenBoogie]

He should have said "you know, everyone here is automatically qualified to be vice president of the united states."

[Indedave]

"... so please pick up an application from the table by the door when you leave."